Three Little Words
by WikketKrikket
Summary: Sequel to One Little Word. Téa's 'Suprise' left Seto with unwanted feelings. But now she's off to NY, so his problems are solved! Right? Author name changed from Waffles4eva


A/N: So, TECHNICALLY this should be a chapter of WyG. But, I knew that with the time I had tonight, I would not get it done. But, as I'm going away for a week,I wanted to post SOMETHING so as not to feel like a complete failure! So here, knocked up far more quickly and spontaneously then it should have been, is a sequel to 'One Little Word'. Hope you enjoy, and WyG, for any who care, will return ASAP!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, there would be NO WAY Seto and Téa would be so grossly OOC or in this posistion. Let alone a second one.

Three Little Words

"_Actually, I have an idea now." Téa replied, suddenly grabbing him and kissing him on the lips._

_They stood there for a rather impressive amount of time before she released him._

"_That surprised you." She smirked, as Seto stood in total and utter disbelief. "And now, if you excuse me, I have to go and write a poem."_

_She walked away proudly, the double doors swinging listlessly behind her._

And, as was becoming routine, Seto woke up. He sighed in annoyance as he settled back into the pillows. He had had precious little sleep before, and so long as Téa Gardner was taking up residence his head, he'd have even less. He rolled over, living in the hope that he would be able to get some sleep without-

Nope, here he was again. With Gardner saying the same thing she'd said every night for the past month, and taking hold of his arms with surprising force, before…

He needed sleep. But it wasn't _so _bad here.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_I just have to tell them. All of them at once, save me repeating myself. I mean, it's a big thing. I don't have anything to be ashamed of, I'm sure about this… I think. I've always wanted to go to New York. This could be my only chance. And what is there here for me? What, with the internet and all, it won't even make much difference to my friends. I've had _more _then enough adventures, but it's time to go my own way, right? I even got a chance to humiliate Kaiba before I left! His face was priceless! He's been avoiding me ever since! He couldn't believe the way I just-_

_Uh-oh, Téa, don't go there. Dangerous territory._

_I've been meaning to apologise to him. I mean, if it had been him to me, I would have slapped him. But he just stood there. Humiliated. I'm just lucky his fan club didn't see me! I went too far, even if he _did _deserve it. I mean, what if that was his first?_

_Unthinkable! _That _was his first kiss! No way, it would never happen! I'm just going crazy. He's got so many girls after him, it's practically impossible! Still, he never really seemed interested…_

_Ahhh, now I'm curious! __It's none of my business who Seto has or has not kissed! But what if he- No! _Bad _thoughts! You did _not _steal his first kiss! So stop thinking! Shut up shut up shut up shut up-_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Téa?"

"Hmm?" She asked, looking up.

"…Why are you hitting yourself on the head?" Yugi asked, looking at her weirdly.

"Uh…" She replied sheepishly. "Good for the brain?"

"Bad for the brain…" Ryou muttered, looking at her from under his bangs. She could never tell what that guy was thinking. His eyes were so mysterious, sometimes it was like he had no emotion at all- they never seemed to be laughing, even when he was; or smiling, or rolling, or any other feature. Nor did his voice betray anything- Though he was not as bad as he had been when he first arrived, Ryou still spoke very formalised Japanese. He was only just beginning to pick up on local slang and dialect.

"Téa…?" Yugi tried, clicking his fingers in front of her blank face, as Ryou twisted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. "You still in there?"

Ah, Yugi. She loved all her friends, but it would probably be Yugi she missed the most, the one she considered her best friend. He was always concerned for everyone else's wellbeing, and didn't even realise. It was just natural to him. She smiled slightly, remembering what a bully-magnet he'd been when she'd first met him. But no longer did he need her to fight his battles- he was a hero. He'd be just fine.

"Geez!" Joey complained loudly. "You've been so spacey these days…"

"Yeah," Tristan agreed. "What's up?"

_Do or Die time…_

Téa licked her lips. "There's good news and bad news." She sighed. They looked at her expectantly.

"Give us the good news first!" Yugi insisted, ever optimistic.

"Well, I got into the dance school I applied for!" Téa smiled, but hurried onto the bad news before they could get too boisterous in their celebrations. "The bad news is… It's in New York. I'm outta here, guys! At the end of term- next week."

"But that's great!" Yugi insisted, and the others nodded. "Sure, we'll all miss you, but this is what you want! It's been your dream for as long as I've known you! And if you're happy, we're happy for you!"

Téa felt a rush of gratitude, leapt up, and hugged him.

"I'll miss you…" She whispered.

It was at this moment that Seto finally made it into the classroom, unusually late, just a few moments before the bell.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**This is a classroom. Not some kind of social club. And yet, she's there, all over _him_, whispering to him as if… And all her friends are just looking on. Disgusting.**

**But things like this happen all the time, why let it bother me now? I'm constantly surrounded by overly-emotional, over-sexed, hormonal, uncontrollable idiots, who spend so long trying to make themselves look good that they forget to insert their brains. Evidently, I have never counted myself among the aforementioned idiots. **

**Yet… There is something. I seem to be feeling even more hatred towards my rival this morning. But it is different. Not just the way he manages to be such a good duellist whilst prattling complete rubbish; nor the, dare I admit it, grudging respect for those duelling skills. This is more like…**

**I think this is Envy.**

…

**Darn you, Motto. No, darn you _Téa. _If it wasn't for you filling up my head, I wouldn't have been late in the first place. And I would have been able to stop you.**

**No, scrap that, I wouldn't have cared.**

**Darn you, Téa. Darn you for making me care.**

**Still, I have not resigned myself to becoming an 'overly-emotional, over-sexed, hormonal, uncontrollable idiot, who spend so long trying to make himself look good that he forgets to insert his brain.' I'm better then that. Maybe if I ignore it, it'll go away. It worked last time I cared about anyone else.**

**Hmmph. Her _still _hugging Yugi isn't helping. Time to put a stop to it.**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Oh, _please._ Would you mind letting go of him before my breakfast decides to make a repeat performance?"

Téa released Yugi, glaring in a way that would even give Kaiba himself a run for his money. "Excuse me?"

"I asked you to let go of him." Seto replied. "You go so over the top, Gardner." She flared up instantly. Just what he'd intended.

"Well, maybe going over the top is better then having nothing at all!" She screamed. The rest of the class fell silent, except for Yugi, tugging on her sleeve.

"Téa…" He said, cautiously.

"He's not worth the bother, T." Joey insisted. But Téa was beyond caring.

"You're just cold and empty!" She was yelling. "There's nothing inside you at all! It's no wonder no-one likes you! I thought there was good in everyone, but in you there's nothing! The only way there'd be anything was if they plugged you into a computer, because that's all you are- an empty shell with a lot of calculations going on but making no difference in the real world! You're never going to get any friends and- and- your first kiss is going to be _stolen_, because you'd never know how to love anyone!"

Even Seto seemed slightly taken aback at this. But, true to form, he recovered quickly, and pulled his glare back onto his face. "Oh?"

"Iya!" She cursed. "Stop acting like you're so much better then everyone else! Because you're much worse and there is no way I'm going to miss _you _and- and-"

Seto raised an eyebrow, but only for a second, before her hand made a sharp, harsh impact with the side of his face. You could hear people gasping. You didn't slap the most dangerous man in Domino. And, for once, people didn't even think he deserved it. Téa had been too harsh, even she knew it. She and Seto regarded each other, annoyance not on his face but on hers. But it passed, her face crumpling, before she ran out of the room, sobbing.

The teacher entered, looking stern.

"Who would care to tell me why Téa just ran past me in the corridor crying?" She asked, looking over to her friends. Seto was standing with them, an angry red mark on the side of his face. "Kaiba?"

But Seto did not reply. He was looking at the door without emotion. Or he just didn't know what emotion to show.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**She's crying. And I care.**

**This is ridiculous! I've made so many people cry, why should one more hurt? And even so, _they're _the one's being hurt, not _me._**

**But I am not Yugi, making myself safe in my own illusions. I feel guilty. I shouldn't, but I do. **

**What was she so upset about anyway? It's bad enough she had the audacity to _slap _me, but I didn't deserve that! I lied, she's not that over the top. Not enough to slap me just for that. I've said and done a lot worse without all this fuss.**

**Drat. Now I feel guilty about that to…**

**But what did she mean by my first kiss would be _stolen_ from me? Does she know? How could she know? Could she tell?**

**This is why I promised myself I'd _never _get involved with people! I'll regret that 'Boo' till the day I die…**

**I never thought I'd say this, but I prefer being kissed by her then being slapped by her.**

**Ouch.**

**This isn't working out as planned. Things are just getting worse…**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Kaiba?"

Seto didn't bother to turn around. If Yugi wanted to screw at him about making Téa cry, let him. He couldn't make him feel any worse. He ignored him, under the façade of paying attention to the literature class in progress in front of them. He hated this class more then ever now. This had been the one to set the poem that had caused Téa to lose sleep and look gormless and to be easily surprised. It was all this teacher's fault…

Yugi was not put off by Kaiba's coldness- he hadn't expected anything less. Ever persistent, he continued anyway.

"You didn't deserve that slap. She overreacted."

"Oh, I feel _so _much better now." Seto muttered dryly.

"It's just…" Yugi continued uncertainly. "Téa's at an… emotional… time right now…"

"It comes around every four weeks." Seto murmured, even more quietly. If he was right, it would sure explain the little performance last month; and now this…

"She's moving away next week." Yugi informed him, not having heard. "She's finally going to New York! Still, it's got to be difficult…"

Yugi's voice drifted away into an annoying, back ground whine. New York? Seto swallowed hard.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_First position…_

_I am a horrible person. _

_He didn't deserve that kiss- No, I shouldn't call it that. That _humiliation_. And now he didn't deserve that slap, no matter what he's done in the past._

_I am horrid._

_Second Position…_

_But it's to a horrid person! He deserves everything he gets! I'm glad I'm leaving! Now I won't have to look at him any more!_

_There I go again. I've never liked the guy, but I've never _hated _him before! I don't get why I'm acting this way… Suddenly, I can't stand to see the sight of him! If anything, the roles should be reversed! _I _forced a kiss on _him, _just for some silly bet, not the other way around! He didn't even react-_

_Third Position…_

_Why didn't he react? Was I _that _bad?_

_Well, he was surprised… And he's not much of an emotional person anyway. It probably doesn't mean anything…_

_No! It _doesn't _mean anything! Why should I even _care _that he didn't react! I didn't want him to! Did I…?_

_Iya… Just stop thinking, Téa. Just stop it._

_First Position… _

_Let it go. Just stop thinking. And let it all go._

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**New York…?**

**I suppose if she's _leaving _it'll make it a lot easier to get over this 'crush' as quickly and efficiently as possible.**

**I am notgoing after her.**

**I am _not _going after her.**

**I am _NOT-_**

**Oh, forget it. I don't think I have a choice any more…**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Seto raised a hand, still swallowing hard. He couldn't believe he was doing this… "May I be excused?" He asked, keeping a calm mask even whist his insides were in chaos.

Téa was leaving.

Which was a good thing. Because then he would have nothing to distract him.

But if it was good… Why did it feel so bad?

"Kaiba!" Yugi hissed as he stood up. "I should try the studio!"

Seto gave no reaction. His reputation couldn't afford it.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

When girls need somewhere private to cry in school, the natural course of action was the toilets. There were small, lockable cubicles, and a plentiful supply of tissues. In class time, they were normally deserted, and if you were excused from class to use the toilet, no-one could tell you to go back- you were where you were supposed to be.

The only problems are that they are generally dirty, smelly, and full of other crying girls. And anyone can find you if they want to. Provided they are a girl, naturally.

It was for these reasons and more that Téa never went to the toilets.

The Studio was a medium-sized room on the ground floor, that had been used to house a Dance Course. Téa had petitioned with others long and hard to get the facility a few years ago. She had even got the Cheerleaders on her side by saying they could use it for practise.

Unfortunately, when it came to choosing classes, for whatever reason, very few people had chosen it and it was cancelled. Téa had watched, bitterly disappointed, as the caretaker had locked the room until a further use for it could be found.

The further use had been found- it was not a store room for the Music department. But the Amps, cables, broken keyboards, microphones, guitars with missing strings, and one semi-tuned piano only took up half the room. The other half still had the sprung floor, grimy mirrors, and the bar. The room was supposed to be locked, but Téa knew that lock had long since been broken. Nothing had been stolen because there was nothing worth taking. She knew that she was the only one who ever disturbed the dust here.

There was no music, but, finished with her warm up, she danced anyway. She wasn't quite sure why she was beginning as though she was intending to do a full session, but it seemed almost automatic. She always came here when she was upset. Dancing took concentration. There was no room for other thoughts, not even a need for music if you didn't want it. It took all of you, all your emotion flowed out in the movements your body made. This was what it was all about. A dance told a story. It wasn't thought, it was natural; an expression of feelings just like tears or a smile. Even when she had resolved nothing, dancing made her feel better. It let her switch her thoughts off for a while, and give her mind a rest.

Unless the very thing she was trying to avoid thinking about was standing, watching her.

"Kaiba." She felt her calm dissolve into an angry rage, like acid breaking her level head apart. "What do you think you're doing?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

'**Did my Heart love till now?'. That was once said in a play by one who was a master of his art. I never liked the character. 'Romeo' always struck me as a womaniser who didn't know what love was. There was no such thing as 'Love at First Sight'. I wasn't even certain there was any such thing as Love. But now it seems strangely apt. **

**These feelings will send me to my grave.**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

She danced, though there was no music. Though there was nothing to accompany her. But, somehow, it wasn't necessary. As she moved, her feet disturbing and leaving patterns in the dust below her, you knew it didn't matter. Seto had never been a fan of dance, but she was telling a story. She was telling a story, without singing or music or costume or set- she moved, in a uniform that was slightly longer then average, in a dusty, forgotten room; but it moved you. You felt so much at once, you couldn't move. But all you wanted to do was go and dance with her. But if you did, it would be intruding upon something sacred and beautiful- something that wasn't made for eyes to see.

Seto watched from beside a pile of old LPs, not sure what he thought he was doing. Part of him _knew _what he was doing was wrong- he wasn't supposed to see this. But as the dust swirled in clouds around her lithe form, looking no worse for the dirt; in fact, making it more beautiful in comparison- he couldn't move. Her whole body was moving to some unheard piece, without melody nor music. But the song was there, written in her eyes, sparkling in exhilaration even as they seemed so blank-

She caught sight of him in the mirror. And, suddenly, she was not so calm and serene. The song had been replaced by anger, the trails in the dust stopped dead. He was in it deep.

"Kaiba." She asked, through gritted teeth. "What do you think you are doing here?"

Seto _knew _he should just tell her he'd come to apologise; or even tell her that he just wanted to see if the rumour about her moving away was true. But they'd always said his temper would be the end of him, and it was kicking in now.

"Last I checked, Gardener," He spat "This room did not belong to you. If you choose to prance around in it, that's up to you. I have my own reasons for being here."

"Then I'll leave you to them!" Téa replied, irritated, pushing him out of the way and storming out. "I want nothing to do with it!" She went to the door, but paused as she opened it. Slowly, deliberately, she raised her feet one at a time and shook the dust off them.

And, once again, Seto was left staring at a door in disbelief.

Why, why, _why _was this happening to him…?

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_I still haven't apologised. Not that there's much point in that now. This has gone too far, too fast._

_And it's too late now, anyway. In just a few minutes, I'll be at the airport. And then I'll fly away, and never have to think about him again._

_It's a fresh start, a fresh start I've always wanted. There's no time for regrets. Even if I hadn't slapped him, nothing wouldn't have come of that kiss. He doesn't like me. And even if he _did, _he wouldn't _now_. It's not like he's going to turn up at the Airport, like in Cardcaptor Sakura. He doesn't like me in that way._

_Yeah, which doesn't matter! I _don't _like him that way either! A relationship with him would be too complicated! And it'd be like trying to have a relationship with the phonebook- or about as exciting, anyway. I was right- he's empty and cold and the only reason he works is because he's plugged into the mains supply._

_Iya… I DON'T CARE! I'm just blowing this thing out of all proportion- None of it _means ANYTHING! _And once I'm on that plane, I'll never look back…_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Ring. Ring. Ring.

_Pick up…_

Ring. Ring. Ring.

_No. Don't pick up._

Ring. Ring. Ring.

_But… Darn it! I had to look everywhere for her number! And now I've put money into this stupid payphone! Pick up!_

Ring. Ring. Ring.

_Just hang up. Give up. It won't do you any good to talk to her anyway._

Ring. Ring-

"Yes?" Téa sounded flustered.

Seto swallowed hard. He had _no _idea what he was going to say.

"Gardner…"

"Kaiba?" She shrieked. "How did you get this number? Oh, never mind! I'm about to go into the airport! I don't have time to deal with you!"

"I just want…" Seto paused. He didn't know _what _he wanted. To say goodbye?"

"An apology?" Téa demanded. "Is that what you want! Fine! Here it is! I'm sorry I stole your first kiss and slapped and yelled at you! And I'm sorry you're so infuriatingly arrogant that I had to do it!"

Seto swallowed, gripping the receiver hard. He'd been thinking hard over the last week, but was it worth telling her now? She obviously hated him with a burning passion… "No, I wanted to-"

"Arrgh!" She interrupted. "This is stupid!"

Seto's mouth knew what was going to happen before his brain did. "Don't hang up! Gardner, _don't _hang up!" But he was speaking into a dead phone- just a moment to late. Seto rested his head against the wall of the phone booth in frustration. "Don't hang up…" He repeated weakly. "Because then I'll never get chance to admit I didn't mind you stealing my first kiss, and that I wanted you to have the second, and the third and the fourth… and I'll never get to say that I… I think I…" He swallowed. She wasn't even listening, and it was still so hard to say! But he needed to, he needed to admit it to himself. "No. I don't think…" Just Three, small words… "I… I love you."

"Seto…?"

Seto whirled round. The door of the phonebox was open, Téa standing in it. She had hung up because she could see him here! He had been planning to go into the airport, had chickened out, and had used the phone next to the door. And now she had heard all that! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Heh." He smirked, shoving past her. He felt better out on the street, not penned in. "I guess you heard all that. Well, at least you won't be hanging around to ruin my reputation."

"You say you love me, but you don't know me." She half-laughed. "If you did, you know I wouldn't mock you. If anything…"

Seto gritted his teeth. He hated being pitied. And this was the 'letting him down gently' part.

"If anything," She continued, uncertainly. "I'd be surprised that you could feel anything. And I'd be surprised you could ever feel for me like that."

He snorted. "If it's any consolation, it was a shock to me to." Seto sighed. "Also, I have come to the conclusion that I don't like surprises. After all, it was your 'surprise' that lead me to this unfortunate position."

"Well…" She hesitated. "Allow me to surprise you again. Because I…" She gave up, and kissed him. But this time, it was not a harsh, rushed thing. This was soft, and gentle, the way he'd always imagined her being.

"I believe I've changed my mind." Seto smirked. "Not all 'surprises' are too bad."

"No." She agreed, giggling. And they kissed again. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.

They were only interrupted by the arrival of Téa's friends, come to see her off.

"Kaiba!" Joey yelled. "Get your _filthy, money-stained _hands off her!"

Seto looked up, but, before he could even produce a smart retort, Téa had jumped in.

"Joey." She replied wearily. "For once, just once in your life- _shut up_."

They continued.

All round, it had been a very surprising day for them all. Seto and Téa… Who would have seen that one coming? But those three little words- I love you- are notorious for being the hardest words to say.

However, it's also said that they are the most rewarding. And, right now, Seto felt sure, more certainly then he had ever known anything, that they were totally, utterly, undeniably right.

**The End**


End file.
